baby
by tatty ted
Summary: She has his hair and her mother's eyes. - —Charlie/OC.


ϟ

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><p><span>baby<span>  
>my love is there wherever you may be<br>just remember that you'll always be my baby.  
><span>you'll always be my baby<span> — sara evans

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><p>He paces the corridor, anxious to meet the new arrival. Eventually, he gets to meet her, with her brown eyes and brown hair.<p>

And as she's handed to him and he holds her close, he believes he's found the true definition of love.

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The first three months pass in a blur, with the sleepless nights and nightly feeds.

He spends half his time yawning and the other time rocking his daughter but he doesn't care.

He hopes it'll pass soon and they'll establish more of a routine.

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_They don't_.

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It's at six months she sits up by herself and begins to crawl.

After that, she gets up to mischief and he's forever chasing her. She giggles and crawls faster, thinking it's a game.

He doesn't mind, he hopes she'll grow out of it soon.

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_She doesn't_.

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By the time she's one, she knows how to walk.

She's a little unsteady, always falling over but she gets up to more mischief then before.

He finds himself on his feet constantly pulling her away from things that are dangerous.

But according to Baz, she's an angel when he's not here.

He just hopes she'll grow out of it.

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_She doesn't_.

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At two, she begins at nursery. He hopes having _friends_ will stop her been 'naughty'.

It doesn't work. By day two, he gets a phone call asking to come and collect her.

He's annoyed when he realises she's punched another child but just looking at her, warms his heart.

And so, he gets her to apologise and glady failes to tell Baz about her little accident.

He just hopes it won't get any worse.

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_It does_.

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For three years, it's a mixture of _Lauren's done this _& _Lauren's done that._

And although neither of them admit it, they do let her get away with so much.

They must think she'll grow out of it, eventually.

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_And they're right. She does_.

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Until she's thirteen.

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She gets her first boyfriend, her first kiss and her first taste of being a teenger.

But gone is their little girl and in her place is a hormonal teenage girl.

He doesn't know how to handle her, how to stop the arguments between them.

He just hopes she realises how much he loves her.

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She doesn't. _( least, she pretends she doesn't. )_

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At fifteen, she comes home with a tattoo. It's nothing big or silly, just the symbol of a heart on her wrist.

When he asks why, she shrugs and says everyone was having one.

He sighs, tells her he's disappointed but doesn't try and stop her when she walks out the door.

She'll be back, he thinks.

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_She doesn't_.

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The days merge into weeks and then into months and nobody has seen or heard anything from her.

Then, just as he's given up hope of ever seeing his daughter again, she returns.

She doesn't say where she's been, or why she went but something's changed.

He just hopes it'll stay that way.

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_And it does_.

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At eighteen she leaves home for university.

The house is awfully quiet without her around.

The years will pass quickly, he says.

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_They don't_.

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In the three years she's at university, a lot happens.

She meets a wonderful man, becomes engaged.

And then he becomes a grandfather for the first time.

And holding his grandson for the first time, he feels that rush of love that he experienced with her all those years before.

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At twenty-two she marries, and tell him she's moving to Cornwall.

He's sad to see her go, it's going to be more lonely than ever without her around.

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For three years he sees her eight times a year.

He rings her daily, sends her a letter once a week and even attempts to use a webcam.

He hopes she'll move back soon.

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Then in one letter, she mentions she's moving to London.

Not back home but it's nearer to home. She mentions she'll be back on the 7th.

He marks the day on the calender, counting down the days until he can see her again.

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Then with one day to go, he gets a phone call.

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"I've got a job in London." She squeels excitedly down the phone.

He's happy for her, more happy when she reveals it's a Doctors position.

Baz really would be proud of her following in her footsteps.

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He tells her to let him know how it goes.

She says she will.

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The seventh comes and he goes to work, another day, same old stuff.

He's been working for three hours or so when he recognises someone at the front desk.

She sits down in the waiting area and he walks towards her.

And he's shocked when he discovers who it is.

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"Lauren?"

"Dad?" She exclaimed and stands up. She wraps her arms around him and hugs him tightly.

When she lets him go, she laughs, moves her hair out of her face and apologises for the lies.

He tells her, he isn't bothered but why didn't she say anything.

_Because it was a secret, _she whispers_._

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><p><strong>an**: if you like it enough to favourite, please review.  
>it's like a slight prequel to Enigma, 'cept she doesn't have her own biological kids. :|<p> 


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